Strong insights with a smooth finish – this was Sips & Talks
After a successful Rise & Shine session in Antwerp earlier this year, we gathered our Limburg community in October for Sips&Talks. This time, no early-morning, sun-drenched breakfast, but a cosy afterwork as the evening set in. This informal knowledge-sharing event was all about meaningful connections, with entrepreneurs sharing insights, exchanging ideas, and finding inspiration with a good drink in hand. Couldn’t make it? No worries! You’ll have to pour your own sip, but we’re happy to serve you the key takeaways from the talks once more.
What’s brewing for tomorrow?
The evening kicked off with a session by Menno Van Gemeren from VOKA, who dove into the economic figures of Limburg, Flanders and Belgium through the Future Indicator 2025. He poured out a few – dare we say it – sobering insights. The numbers show that both total exports and foreign investments declined in 2024, and 2025 doesn’t promise much growth either. International trade remains under pressure. The silver lining? International companies are once again showing confidence in Belgium, and we continue to be one of Europe’s most open industrial markets.
While Limburg saw a slight setback in 2024, Flanders made progress in science and technology. The investment climate remains uncertain, but with growing innovation support from VLAIO, the data shows a slightly more positive trend. Innovation is now more important than ever, as is proved by the boom in drone technology within the defence industry.
Finally, Menno distilled the key labour market trends: unemployment rose in 2024, job vacancies declined and bankruptcies increased. The war for talent seems to be cooling off, but the mismatch between supply and demand remains a sore spot. Another striking trend is the drop in students pursuing STEM subjects, putting long-term pressure on the talent pipeline.
Menno served up plenty of strong insights on internationalisation, innovation and talent. The economic reality may have a slightly bitter note, but the VOKA specialist left us with an optimistic aftertaste:
Those who dare to innovate today are investing in the growth of tomorrow.
Artificial, but make it smart
Everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence, but how do you really make it smart? That was the topic of the second talk of the night, hosted by Technology Lead Tom Celis and strategist Kasper Vancoppenolle. While 80% of companies invest in AI, only 5% can actually show measurable results. Successful innovation doesn’t start with grand ambitions, it starts with the right approach.
The first step? Appoint a champion: someone within your team (or an external expert) who takes ownership and drives the project. Next, pick one specific use case to focus on. Start small and ship fast. This builds trust and delivers real results step by step. Continuously measuring, testing and validating those results gives you insight into your return on investment. Share the The projects with the biggest potential across the team with the right training and upskilling. That’s how you create buy-in, clarity and a realistic growth path towards sustainable innovation.
Of course, Unikoo can guide you every step of the way on your innovation journey.
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Pay transparency unraveled
The 2025 Federal Coalition Agreement was quite the read with its 200+ pages. Add in the Easter and Summer Agreements, plus various interim legislative tweaks, and you get an overwhelming list of regulations Belgian entrepreneurs must comply with. Our Unikoo Talent Manager, Cindy, turned that uninspiring pile of legislation into a sparkling digestif of insights. The key ingredients? The new pay transparency requirements by 2026, along with updated rules on mobility, training, leave, reintegration, termination, pensions and work flexibility.
Come for the sips, stay for the talks
Trend report 2025
To wrap up the evening, Andy Coomans from Blackbird and our Unikoo Finance Lead, Nick van Meerbeeck, unpacked the Trend Report 2025, the insights after a survey of Belgian entrepreneurs about what’s on their minds. The main takeaways? 6 out of 10 entrepreneurs see growth as a priority, but don’t have a cash flow plan. Yet even a simple cash flow forecast can instantly reveal where funds are tied up and help plan investments strategically. What's more, over 60% struggle to access funding, but only 10% actively seek investors. And 7 in 10 say they need better financial guidance.
By structuring data, processes and reporting, companies can grow with confidence. And that’s exactly where Unikoo helps entrepreneurs every day.
Let's raise a glass to an evening full of insights, inspiration and conversations that linger long after the last sip. Here’s to the next edition of Sips&Talks, with new flavours, fresh ideas and an inspiring aftertaste. Want to stay up to date about out upcoming events? Register for our newsletter below!
